1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for stably recovering and launching an unmanned aerial vehicle.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An unmanned aerial vehicle system that can automatically perform given tasks throughout all areas including land, sea, and air has been highlighted as one of next-generation military weapon systems.
Such an unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft that is manufactured to allow a pilot to perform a specific task without being on board, and is operated in conjunction with an independent system or space/ground systems.
In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with various devices (optical, infrared, and radar sensors, etc.) depending on the application fields to perform tasks such as surveillance, reconnaissance, induction of precision attack weapons, communications/information relay, EA/EP, decoy, etc., and has been also developed and commercialized as a precision weapon itself by loading explosives so that it is attracting attention as a major military means in the future.
In order to achieve such land, sea, and air-related systems, a technology that can stably recovery and launch the unmanned aerial vehicle which has completely performed the corresponding task to an underwater vehicle such as an unmanned submarine should be decided first.
That is, a technology that safely brings the unmanned aerial vehicle down in the unmanned submarine and recoveries the unmanned aerial vehicle is more difficult than a technology that launches the unmanned aerial vehicle from the unmanned submarine.
This is because stable recovering is made possible only when the unmanned aerial vehicle flying through the air and the underwater vehicle floating in the sea should be precisely aligned during a recovering operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
However, in the marine environment having many variables such as sea breezes or waves, performing a precise control to recovery the unmanned aerial vehicle to the underwater vehicle such as an unmanned submarine is realistically very difficult.    [Patent document 1] JP2007-223491 A